This rule argues that state actions trump local government and that cities exist only at the pleasure of the state. Which rule is this?

This rule argues that state actions trump local government and that cities exist only at the pleasure of the state. Which rule is this?

• A. Compact Theory
• B. Sovereign Immunity
• C. Dillon's Rule
• D. Local Self-Government

Answer: (C)

Dillon's Rule says that local governments are creatures of the state and derive their powers from the state. Because cities exist at the pleasure of the state, the state can grant, limit, modify, or withdraw their authority. In practice, this means state actions take precedence over local decisions, and a city can’t act beyond what the state allows. This framework contrasts with ideas that give municipalities broad, independent autonomy (home rule), which isn’t what Dillon's Rule asserts. Compact Theory, by contrast, concerns the relationship between states within the Union and the idea that they formed a compact; it’s not about how cities derive authority. Sovereign Immunity deals with a state’s immunity from being sued without consent. Local Self-Government is a general notion of local autonomy, which Dillon’s Rule limits rather than endorses.

Dillon's Rule says that local governments are creatures of the state and derive their powers from the state. Because cities exist at the pleasure of the state, the state can grant, limit, modify, or withdraw their authority. In practice, this means state actions take precedence over local decisions, and a city can’t act beyond what the state allows. This framework contrasts with ideas that give municipalities broad, independent autonomy (home rule), which isn’t what Dillon's Rule asserts.

Compact Theory, by contrast, concerns the relationship between states within the Union and the idea that they formed a compact; it’s not about how cities derive authority. Sovereign Immunity deals with a state’s immunity from being sued without consent. Local Self-Government is a general notion of local autonomy, which Dillon’s Rule limits rather than endorses.